It’s Independence Day, and all around my neighborhood, small displays of
fireworks are going off. The bright bursts of color are exuberant and
entertaining, not at all like the explosions of dynamite that make such a
startling impression at various points in the series of LOST.
Probably the most memorable of these instances occurs at the end of the
first season, when Dr. Leslie Arzt, annoying high school science
teacher, tries to show Jack and his crew how to properly handle the
delicate sticks.
Perpetually whiny Dr. Arzt is probably the most
random character yet to get the Bif Bang Pow! bobblehead treatment.
Having appeared in just seven episodes and two mobisodes, with
appearances in some episodes limited to just a few minutes, Arzt is not
exactly a starring character. Essentially, despite the actual color of
his clothing, he is a red-shirt, a character introduced for the main
purpose of being expendable, but he is more memorable than most of those
minor characters, and that dynamite is a big part of the reason why.
Being
a stickler for detail, I should note that the dynamite on the
bobblehead looks a lot more stable than the stuff on the actual show.
Arzt stands atop a square wooden platform with his name on the front,
and in front of him is a crate with the word “EXPLOSIVES” emblazoned on
it. Inside are neat stacks of red dynamite sticks. On LOST, they
ooze grotesquely, making for a much messier sight. Additionally, Arzt
simply holds a stick of dynamite in his hands, which he expressly tells
Jack not to do, so it’s not an entirely accurate representation of his
heroic but unfortunate efforts. Still, for the purposes of the
bobblehead, it probably makes more sense to show him this way.
Arzt
has a rather smug look on his pudgy face, which is caked with dirt. His
white striped button-up shirt and gray pants are pretty filthy too.
Tromping around in the jungle will do that, though I think this is
mainly meant to allude to what happens to Arzt next, since there
wouldn’t really be a proper way to show that in this type of figure
unless it arrived in pieces – which my first bobblehead actually did. I
sent for a replacement, though I was tempted to keep the damaged one
because it just seemed so fitting for the figure.
Like the
others in this series, Arzt stands about seven inches tall. While the
dynamite that accompanies his most memorable moment on the show is the
focal point, a spider rests on the edge of the base, which is a nice nod
to the entomological expertise he shares in the quirky season three
episode focusing on two of the show’s most reviled characters. Reminders
of his role in season one and three resurface in season six’s Dr. Linus,
my favorite episode of the series, in which he makes his final
appearance and at last we get to see him in action, sort of, in the high
school environment.
Poor Dr. Arzt. Stuck teaching rudimentary
biology to students who couldn’t care less when his advanced degree
indicates that he is over-qualified for the position. Always getting on
the nerves of those around him, even ever-patient Hurley. Flying all the
way to Australia to meet his online flame, only to discover the peril
of posting his hunky friend’s photo on the Internet and passing it off
as his own. And then there’s the small matter of what happens when he
gives his impromptu dynamite safety lecture. Some guys just can’t catch a
break.
When I saw that Arzt had gotten the bobblehead
treatment, all I could do was laugh. With what this poor fellow went
through, doggone it, he should get a bobblehead. And since his
head is extra-large, it’s especially suited to bobbling. I can’t help
wondering now whether uber-red-shirt Neil, better known as Frogurt, will
be making his way into this format next. Neither is what I would call
an essential purchase for the casual fan, but if you’re one of those
oddballs who have spent as much time with these characters as I have, I
suspect you will find the lugubrious Leslie difficult to resist.
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